Vitamin D May Help Alleviate Pain in Fibromyalgia

TUESDAY, Jan. 21, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- Oral supplementation with vitamin D reduces pain in women with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and low vitamin D levels, according to a study published in the February issue of PAIN.

Florian Wepner, M.D., from the Center of Excellence for Orthopaedic Pain Management in Vienna, and colleagues randomly assigned 30 women with FMS with serum calcifediol levels &#60;32 ng/mL to placebo or oral cholecalciferol supplementation, where the dose was periodically adjusted to maintain serum cholecalciferol between 32 and 48 ng/mL. At week 25, treatment was discontinued for 24 weeks.

At the end of the supplementation period, as assessed by a visual analog scale, the researchers found a significant reduction in pain severity in the group receiving cholecalciferol supplementation. Supplementation also significantly improved physical role functioning and morning fatigue, but had no significant effect on depression and anxiety or somatization.

"In addition to known therapies, oral substitution of vitamin D may be regarded as a relatively safe and economical treatment for patients with FMS," Wepner and colleagues conclude.

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